Girl Scout Cookies are the best and we are always looking forward to that time of year — however, sometimes we get cravings for those cookies when they’re not sold in stores yet. Now some people feel very passionately about choosing sides (generally Thin Mints vs. Samoas), but we don’t discriminate; we love all cookies equally. Here, we decided to try our hand at making homemade versions of the beloved Samoas and trust us, they’re amazing. Chocolate. Coconut. Say no more.
Chocolate Coconut Cookies
(Yields approx. 2 dozen)
Ingredients
Cookies:
1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup white sugar
1 cups flour; plus enough for flouring surfaces
1 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coconut Topping:
1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut
1/2 (14 oz.) can dulce de leche
4 oz. dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until airy and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, mix together your flour, baking powder and salt.
- Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk and vanilla extract, beginning and ending with the flour. Dough should come together without being too sticky.
- Divide dough in half and wrap each half, flattening into discs, in plastic wrap. Then refrigerate or freeze until firm.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out each chilled disc until it is 1/8-inch thick. Cut out as many cookies as possible using a circular cookie cutter. (If dough starts to get warm, place it back in the freezer for 10 minutes.) Then cut out the centers of each cookie. You can use the open side of a piping tip for this.
- Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes (rotating half way through), or until bottoms are just slightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool fully.
Topping:
- Evenly spread coconut flakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350º F for 10 minutes. Stir often so they cook evenly and don’t burn. Remove from oven and let cool.
- In a saucepan (or in the microwave), warm your dulce de leche and pour in the milk and salt.
- Toss toasted coconut in a large bowl with 3/4 of the dulce de leche.
- Spread the rest of the sauce on top of the cooled cookies and then place the coconut/caramel mixture on top. Let the cookies cool.
- Melt dark chocolate in the microwave and dip the bottoms of cookies in the chocolate. Then drizzle the remaining chocolate on top of all the cookies. Let cool fully before eating.
Recipe adapted from Mind Over Batter